Prairie Rose
by Tessryne
Summary: Gajeel "Blacksteel" Redfox has a bounty on his head and a bullet wound in his side. Fate brings him to a young woman, Levy McGarden, who teaches children in the frontier town of Prairie Rose. Against her better judgement, Levy nurses the dangerous man back to health and, in doing so, unwittingly entangles her destiny with Gajeel's forever. (Ongoing work in-progress)
1. Chapter 1

(Work in-progress. Please feel free to critique and review as I go. Thanks for reading!)

The horse nickered softly as the bounty hunter drew back on his reins, turning the mare slowly to circle around a spatter of blood his eyes had expertly spotted on a cactus leaf below him. The horse tossed her head and gnawed on the bit as her nostrils flared, showing obvious displeasure of the scent they were tailing. The bounty hunter took a moment to lean forward and pat the side of the mare's neck reassuringly before he raised his gaze to the sky and removed the dusty and weathered cowboy hat off of his head to eye the position of the sun. The merciless orb had started its descent towards the west; he had a few hours to make some ground before needing to break camp. The blood on the cactus leaf was dry, though less than a day old, he judged from his vast experience of hunting down thieves, criminals and other dregs of society. Replacing his hat on his head he clicked between his teeth and urged the mare forward as his eyes continued their meticulous scan along the ground and desert scrub, finding a hint of his prey's trail every so often and keeping him on the hunt.

Crimson hues narrowed to slits as they watched the mounted hunter until he disappeared over the horizon. Then, and only then, did the man breathe a deep breath as he moved to get up from his prone position beneath a pile of cactuses and tumbleweeds. He sucked in a breath as a sharp pain stabbed through his right side, reminding him of the festering gunshot wound he suffered. Moving a bit more gingerly, he stood on aching legs and took a mental note of the direction the hunter had disappeared in. West. He scanned the vast landscape around him, squinting his eyes as his vision blurred. _Fuck, this doesn't look good_ he grumbled inwardly. North, he'd head north he decided warily then willed his legs to start moving, his heavy boots kicking up dust and dirt every couple steps. What he wouldn't give to have his trusty steed, Lilly, to carry his sorry ass to the next town. Woefully, he wondered if his plan to throw the hunter off of his trail would ultimately be his undoing. It was hot, damn hot, and he was sure he had blood poisoning at this point. The wound smelled to high heaven and he was certain there was a maggot or two crawling under his shirt. He didn't dare look, fearful of moving the material that may have helped to form a clot to stop the bleeding. The man tried to lick his lips to have some relief from the blazing sun, but it didn't help, only succeeding in reminding him how dry and cracked they were. Sighing, he trudged on, thinking of his horse and wondering if they'd ever see each other again.

* * *

"Bye, Ms. McGarden!" the scrappy 6 year old boy called over his shoulder as he ran out the school house door. Levy McGarden smiled after him, watching his lanky form disappear in the evening sunlight. She took a few moments to tidy up her tiny classroom before she picked up her books, tucking them under an arm and then snatched up her bonnet, placing it atop her mass of curly blue hair as she made her way out of the small school house and past the white picket fence that lined its humble perimeter. She beamed as she headed towards a large oak tree nestled a top a small hill that crested a few hundred yards from the school house. Its raised position provided the perfect vantage point to watch the sunset and it also received a nice breeze most days. As she walked she mused about how happy she was in her life. She'd ventured out west to escape the drab and boring life of a city banker's daughter to pursue her love of books and teaching. While her father had adamantly tried to dissuade her from traveling to such a dangerous and "uncivilized" part of the country, she had passionately argued that she felt compelled to help the settlers and their children the only way she knew how. Knowledge was power and she needed to empower the next generation. She'd disembarked the train at a small town named Prairie Rose and had immediately set about asking whether the town currently had a schoolmarm. To her delight, there wasn't, and she was awed at the communities support to have her stay and start teaching. The towns people came together to refashion an old storage shed to serve as the new school house and they even built desks and chairs by hand to fill her classroom with, granted it could only fit a hand full of students. It was a humble institution, but it was hers. Her easy-going nature and love for her students quickly earned her a soft spot in the hearts of the homesteaders she'd settled in with. Prairie Rose was now her home.

Levy took a deep breath as she reached the top of the hill and turned her back to the tree, adjusting her skirts as she knelt down and leaned against the thick oak trunk. She set her pile of books aside and picked up the leather bound tome of her current favorite " _On the Origin of Species_ " by Charles Darwin. He father had procured a copy of the highly sought after publication and had bestowed it to her the last few days before her journey. She opened the book to her current place mark and found herself quickly engrossed in the literature, losing track of time and space.

 _Don't stop….don't stop…._ The words repeated ceaselessly in his mind. The sunlight was waning; he'd need to find some place to hunker down soon. Thankfully, his eyes had spied plumes of smoke in the distance a while ago and he'd lowered his head, focusing on moving his legs towards the possible homestead in the distance. Now as he raised his eyes and blinked past his blurred vision he saw before him a hill with a tree cresting its small summit. He faltered mid step as he furrowed his brow, seeing what appeared to be an apparition sitting at the base of the tree in the fading light. The man blinked several more times, trying to clear his vision without success. The visage remained, seated steadfast against the base of the massive tree, seemingly oblivious to his closing proximity. He grunted to himself, trying to muster what strength he had left and started to move around to the back of the tree, out of the periphery of the person stationed atop the hill. As he neared he saw more clearly the folds of fabric that peeked around either side of the tree. It could be nothing else but a dress and he caught a sweet scent on the breeze as he shifted downwind of the woman. Instinctively, his hand reached to the small of his back where he kept his hunting knife. He needed help, and he was going to get it the only way he knew.

Levy shivered involuntarily, the jolt breaking her from her trance as she raised her hazel hues to see the last beams of sunlight disappear behind the horizon. _Oh, boulderdash…_ she fumed mentally and started searching around for her bookmark. She finally laid eyes on it to her side and reached for it, not at all expecting the hand that shot out from outside her peripheral to seize her wrist in a cruel grip, twisting it around to her back. Before she could muster a scream she was yanked to her side away from the tree base and a large rough and calloused hand reached from behind her to clamp over her mouth, stifling the measly squeak of surprise that escaped her lips.

"Scream and I will not hesitate to break your tiny neck like a twig", the gravelly voice rumbled behind her. "Fight me and you'll get a blade between your ribs, shrimp, do you understand?"

Levy managed to nod quickly, her head spinning from shock and her racing pulse. Before she had another moment to assess her situation she found herself roughly pulled back against a hard wall; a man's chest she realized, before that rough deep voice made another demand.

"Stand up." Levy obeyed, managing to stand on shaky legs as she felt more weight press against her back from behind. Was the man leaning on her? The pressure continued steadily until she felt the man roll off to the side, smashing onto the ground with a heavy thud. Confusion, shock, surprise raced through her as she turned to look at the man who not even seconds before was threatening her life. He lay there in an unceremonious heap, butt in the air and cheek pressed to the dirt, his dust and sweat stained face contorted in…pain? Levy fought the urge to run, standing over him in the growing dark as her eyes swept over him, quickly assessing. She didn't see the knife he was threatening her with. Had he fallen on it and stabbed himself? No, he smelled of rotting flesh and infection. An old wound then, she surmised. He was weak, possibly on the verge of death. She decided then that she had nothing to fear from this man. He was certainly not in a state to carry out the horrible acts he had threatened her with. It was a ruse, and he probably used the last of his strength to make it as convincing as he could. He clearly needed help and he probably had planned to force her hand into it. Typical of the rough-handed scoundrel type, she thought to herself. She knelt down next to him then as he groaned pitifully. In the growing dark she managed to spy a dark stain covering the right side of his back. Gingerly, she pinched the bottom edge of the duster coat he wore and lifted it. The man groaned again, a bit louder this time, as if protesting her investigation. She dropped his coat and sighed inwardly. Her giving nature was fighting with her more cautious side. She didn't know this man, whether he was truly dangerous or not, but he needed help. Her lips set in a firm determined line.

Levy glanced towards her small homestead in the distance. The man easily outweighed her by a hundred pounds. There was no way she could carry him. The easy thing to do would be to run to town and ask some men to help her, but she didn't want to deal with the questions that would certainly follow, nor did she want to endanger this man further, not knowing how he came to be in his current state. Against her better judgment she reached a finger out and poked him roughly, mustering all the inner strength she could.

"You need to get up, mister. You're too big for me to carry to the house." The man groaned again, as if in understanding, but he made no effort to move.

"But, if you're willing to fight, I think I can help you. You've made it this far from wherever you came, don't give up now."

Levy watched as his face contorted then relaxed before his eyes opened, fixing her with a pair of stunning red hues that made her breath catch in her chest. They stared at each other for a prolonged moment until Levy finally broke the gaze and reached for his hand, sucking in a breath at how hot his skin felt under her fingers.

"What is your name?" She asked as she inched slightly closer, preparing herself for what was sure to be an arduous trek back to her home.

"Gaj…." The man paused as if in thought then closed his eyes, his face becoming an unreadable mask. "Black Steel".

His hesitation wasn't lost on Levy. He was hiding his true name.

"Let's go then, Mister Steel."

* * *

It was well after dark before Levy finally reached the steps that led up to her front door. The Black Steel man's weight had become increasingly heavy on her shoulder and she knew he didn't have much left in him. She didn't have much left in herself either. Her arms and legs quivered with fatigue and her stomach lurched in her belly from the suffocating smell emanating from his body. He smelled like death. She'd learned that unforgettable smell while volunteering at the towns' physician's office during her free time when school was not in session. Thankfully, she'd also learned a thing or two about treating wounds and healing the sick. Carefully, she guided him up the steps and managed to hold him steady as she opened her door. Lucky, her home wasn't bigger than the two rooms that it was. She moved inside the darkened abode, expertly maneuvering around obstacles in the pitch black to her bed where she lowered him as gingerly as she could. The wood of her modest bed creaked under his weight. She huffed a triumphant sigh, but didn't dawdle long before she lit the lamp beside her bed then began shuffling around in her drawers for dressings and what little herbs and medicines she had to help.

Levy set some water to boil on her wood stove and moved back to the bed, hesitating as she mentally prepared herself. She needed to undress him. She felt her cheeks flush at that thought as her eyes swept over the man currently dwarfing her little bed. He lay sprawled on his stomach, his cheek pressed against her pillow. His lips were parted slightly, his breathing slow and even. His eyes were closed behind the strands of charcoal hair that had fallen over his face. He had quite a mane of hair she mused to herself, following the length of it as it spilled over his shoulders and back. There was the heavy duster coat she needed to contend with, then after that she could just cut through whatever lighter shirt he wore beneath. Hopefully he was unconscious. She really wasn't looking forward to the idea of having to wrestle with this man, nor at the thought of having to use her coveted supply of chloroform to knock him out.

Holding her breath, she reached out and poked him roughly on the shoulder. No response, not even a grunt. Nodding to herself she stepped forward then and started the painstaking task of removing his duster coat. Once she got that off, carefully peeling it away from the area of his festering wound, she tossed it aside and reached for her clothing sheers, slowly cutting the thin cotton shirt off of him and leaving a circle of the fabric around his wound. It had indeed mixed with his blood and fluid and helped to aid in clotting the tattered flesh there. She'd seen many of these kinds of wounds before. He had been shot. Reflexively, she sucked in her breath. She had her work cut out for her. She couldn't help but marvel at his form as it was revealed to her. He had strong muscular arms and a taught corded back that tapered into a slender waist. If she nursed him back to health he would be a formidable man indeed. She wouldn't stand a chance. She shook her head absently at that thought. She'd deal with that when the time came…if it came. His skin burned beneath her fingers and sweat beaded on his flesh. He'd probably been battling a fever for a few days at least. The smell of his wound definitely suggested infection and if it had spread to his blood, there was little indeed that she could do aside from keep him comfortable until his body succumbed and he passed.

The thought of the man dying under her care made her brows furrow with determination. She silently hoped that if she did see him through this, it wouldn't end up being the death of her…by his hands. She snorted despite herself, oh the irony in that! She stood then from the wooden stool she had placed by the bed and moved to the woodstove. Armed with thick mittens she heaved the iron pot and moved it over by her stool and medical supplies. She dumped a generous amount of clean dressings into the steaming water and waited for them to saturate. After a moment she quickly scooped one out and laid it square over the wound, wincing as she prepared to fight the man if he protested, but he remained prone and still. Good, she thought. She could practice her ministrations in peace.

Levy worked tirelessly throughout the night, meticulously cleaning the open wound of puss, bullet fragments and debris, flushing it with clean sterile water before she covered the wound with an herbal poultice she learned to make from her time with the physician. She wrapped the poultice in place with a long trail of cotton fabric, struggling to push the material under the man's torso to wrap it properly. With the bandage secure, Levy finally leaned back, stretching the stiff muscles of her back and sitting straight to marvel at her work. She was pretty pleased with how the wound cleaned up. Now it was up to this Black Steel man's body to pull through. Levy took some cool water from a pail and continued to compress it to his brow the remainder of the night as he continued to battle a fever. Before long, sunlight began to pour in through her windows. Fatigue was beginning to settle in and Levy struggled to keep her eyes open. Thankfully, there would not be any classes held today. She was certain it would take the entire day of resting to recover from her long night.

Gajeel was certain he had died and he was in hell. His body ached and burned as if on fire. This was it, nothing less than what he deserved, he supposed. His mind willed his limbs to move, but nothing happened. He was surrounded by darkness as well; a suffocating pitch-black darkness. As he lay there brooding over his fate, the faint sound of a melody broke through his musings. Humming? He strained to listen through the darkness. As he focused on the song he felt a cool sensation washing over his body, temporarily relieving him of the fire that lashed at his skin. After a while the burning would return, only to be staved again by the cool sensation. As it continued, the burning would return less and less intense. The sharp pain in his side began to ease ever so slightly. Between the cool waves he would also be relieved as a cold sensation brushed over his lips and he found himself drinking the blessed chill liquid down, cooling him from the inside out.

Maybe this wasn't hell after all. Purgatory, perhaps? He certainly wouldn't be in heaven. Heaven had no place for a bastard like him. Suddenly through the dark in his mind the image of a blue haired woman in a white dress appeared, her hazel eyes met his with an intense gaze. An angel, he thought to himself. She was an angel. He wondered if this woman was the reason why the fire that was eating him alive had been slowly banked, washing him in her healing aura. Why such an angel would be helping him, he had no idea. The image became blurred as he slipped from consciousness once more.

* * *

A bloodcurdling roar rolled over the plains, causing surrounding birds to take flight, disappearing into the distance. The bounty hunter dug his heels into his mare in frustration and the mare reared with a whinny, landing back down and stomping her hooves as dust kicked up around them. "Dammit, Gajeel," the man growled as he eyed the dead horse on the ground. His damn bounty head had intentionally wounded his horse and slapped it on, leading him to follow its blood trail thinking it was Gajeel's from the gunshot wound he was sure he'd landed on the bastard. He was damn mad. Seething mad. Dead or Alive reward be damned, he was going to kill Gajeel when he caught up to him. His black eyes shot back in the direction he had come and he ground his teeth together at the setback he'd suffered. His pride wounded for having been bamboozled by a low life murderer, he turned his mare back east and spurred her into a gallop, cursing still under his breath.

* * *

For 6 days Levy continued her routine with the stranger. She'd awake from her pile of blankets and pelts on the floor beside her bed and gently rinse the man's body of sweat that had accumulated over night. She'd carefully ladle some water to his lips and each time he drank the liquid reflexively. Then she'd dress and leave her home to go teach, hoping that he'd be okay in her absence. She was becoming more optimistic of his recovery with each passing day, pleased with how less his skin burned when she touched him. She had changed the poultice every day as well, assessing how well the wound was healing. With his improving state also came an increasing worry that hung over her like a rain cloud. He would be waking soon. Would he just wait until she was gone to slip out her front door? Would he ambush her when she returned to kill her and take her belongings? Would he wait for her to thank her before he disappeared from her life as quickly as he had arrived?

It was late afternoon on the sixth day. Class had let out early that day. Levy had decided to take the extra time and gather more water to replenish her stock from a nearby stream that skirted her small plot of land. Her cheeks puffed as she mounted the steps to her front door with her two heavy pails in tow. She set one down and opened her door, too busy maneuvering the pails inside to notice that her bed was empty. It wasn't until she had placed them before her wood stove and stood with a tired and satisfied huff that she noticed the void out of the corner of her eye. Her eyes shot to the empty space and she stood still, a wave of emotions coursing through her. The door clicked shut behind her and she jumped, turning with a whirl to see the tall dark man standing there bare chested, bare footed, sporting only his trousers and a terrifying scowl beneath hooded brows. His crimson orbs seemed to glow with a demonic light as he watched her.

Levy's heart leapt to her throat and she felt as if she were going to faint. She leaned back against her wood stove, then yelped as she jumped away from it, having singed her palm on its surface. Tears gathered in her eyes as fear raced up her spine. Holding her injured hand in her other she slowly began to back away from the Black Steel man, noticing all too late that she had robbed herself of an escape route. Her eyes widened as she watched him turn towards her and close the distance between them with a few large strides. Levy felt her calves crash against her bed frame and she felt all blood rush from her face as it settled in that she had nowhere to go. No way to escape the man that towered over her. He stopped in front of her, suffocating her with his intimidating aura. Levy squeezed her eyes closed and turned her head to the side, just hoping that he would end her life quickly.

Gajeel regarded her curiously as he watched her startle and panic, backing away from him as if he were the one that burned her. Realization set in as he took in her features. This was her…the angel that had healed him. He scowled despite himself, feeling a jolt of hurt at her reaction to him. Was he that much more scary awake than he was unconscious? He moved towards her then, cornering her like a caged bird. He saw a lone tear roll down her cheek as she turned her head away from him, her eyes closed tight in fear. He saw her body trembling, her hands clasped tight before her. He was so tired of this reaction. He'd seen it play over time and time again now. Taking a breath he took in her scent and he felt himself relax, her smell now synonymous with the feelings of soft, gentle….safe. Emotions he was not too familiar with anymore. Reflexively he reached out and seized her hands in one of his, keeping his other ready to act defensively if need be. He felt her jump and she whimpered softly as he gently pulled her hands apart, holding her injured one carefully as he inspected the burn she'd suffered.

Levy eased her eyes open, relaxing slightly as she realized that he wasn't going to hurt her…yet. She watched as he looked over her burned palm, then closed his fingers around her hand as he looked up to meet her gaze. Levy felt her knees grow weak beneath her and she faltered. But instead of falling backwards she felt a hand gently seize her elbow as she was steadied and pulled forward to rest against the strong, muscled, naked chest of the man before her. Levy felt her heart leap up into her throat and her cheeks burned from an intense blush. She felt a hand capture her chin then as she was made to look up into those intense red eyes again. They were softer now, almost reverent as they regarded her.

"Thank you," that hard, deep, gravelly voice rolled from his lips.

Well if she wasn't on the verge of swooning before, she most definitely was now. He must have sensed it because he tightened his hold on her elbow, his other hand dropped from her chin to circle around her waist, holding her steady against him.

"What is your name, angel?" His voice rumbled through his body, the vibrations coursing through her. She felt her eyes flutter as her vision began to close in like black curtains blocking out the light.

"Levy…" she breathed faintly.

"Levy…McGarden." She exhaled. That was the last thing she remembered before she succumbed to her faint.


	2. Chapter 2

Prairie Rose Chapter 2

A sharp knock at her door roused her and suddenly remembering her last fading memory before fainting she sat up fast with a gasp. She was in her bed. After a quick glance around her home she realized that she was alone. Mister Steel was gone. Her hands rose to her chest, flattening over her heart as she willed her pulse to slow. He was gone. Another prolonged and louder knock on her door broke her from her thoughts, reminding her of the reason she was jolted awake in the first place. Kicking her skirts over the edge of the bed she all but leapt to the floor and scurried to her door.

"Miss McGaaaaaarden, please open up." Came one desperate voice, follow by another voice sounding more pitiful than the first.

"We haven't seen you in a week, Miss McGarden, we miss youuuuu."

Levy shook her head with an easy smile as she recognized the pair of voices and she threw open the door and greeted them happily.

"Mister Jet, Mister Droy! I'm so happy to see you both." She drawled and stepped out of her house onto the porch to talk with them, suddenly feeling the need to have some fresh air. She stepped forward and gave them both a friendly hug that sent them both sputtering and stammering. Jet reached up to readjust his top hat and cleared his throat as his cheeks blushed slightly. Droy grinned deviously behind her back then straightened and put on a gentlemanly like face when she stepped back and smiled again at them both.

"Yes, well," Jet fidgeted, "we were worried about you."

"Have you fallen ill?" Droy interjected, concern thick in his voice. "We haven't seen you in town and we would have come calling sooner to check on you, but..."

"We kept getting tied up with business, you know." Jet finished and Droy nodded sagely.

"Oh, errr… yes, yes I was ill but I'm all better now, you see?" Levy raised her arms then let them fall back to her sides as she bounced up on the tip of her toes, smiling brightly.

"Mmm yes well...good to hear, Miss McGarden. We wouldn't know what to do if something serious were to happen to you." Jet stated matter-of-factly and again Droy merely nodded along with his counterpart.

"You know," Droy started, "you really ought to think about maybe relocating closer to town. It's not safe for you to be out here all alone by yourself without…"

"Without a man to look after you," Jet added pointedly, straightening himself taller and puffing out his chest. Seeing his friends stance change, Droy mirrored his movements, both of them puffing like peacocks in front of her.

Levy did her best not to giggle. She knew that they had the best intentions at heart and she didn't want to wound their manly pride any more than she had in the past when she'd rejected both of their attempts to court her.

"I manage just fine, gentlemen." Levy replied softly. "Besides, my father didn't let me leave until I had taken at least 5 marksmanship classes with pistols and rifles."

Jet blanched and waved his hand, clearing his throat and muttering something about ladies should not be shooting firearms.

Levy shook her head at them both. Droy then inched closer to her to talk low, as if someone were close by eavesdropping.

"Old Pete said he saw a fella sneaking away from the direction of your homestead at dusk yesterday. Said he were tall and wore a long dark duster and looked like he were up to no good. Said we should check on you as soon as we could this morning to be sure all was well."

Levy had tensed as soon as the reference to Mister Steel had registered in her mind but she feigned indifference and sniffed airily, and before she could reassure them Jet spoke up.

"We know no man's currently courting the lovely Miss McGarden of Prairie Rose, and we know you're not the kind of woman to be, uh… you know." Jet cleared his throat again, adjusting his bowtie. "Anyways, we thought it best to come check on your wellbeing ourselves to terminate any unsavory rumors from starting in town."

Levy frowned and raised her chin at the hinted insinuation. "You are correct in your assumption that I am indeed NOT that kind of woman, as you two should understand more so than others." She jabbed, satisfied at seeing them both deflate a bit. "But I appreciate you looking out for me and my reputation just the same, gentlemen."

"I meant to disrespect," Jet whimpered. "We really were just worried about you. Old Pete said the man looked unsavory and that he hadn't seen him in town before so we assumed some drifter had singled out your establishment since you're so far from the main town."

"Well you can see that I'm just fine," Levy assured them in a softer tone. "No one has come to bother me at all, I promise you."

Both of the men looked relieved and they nodded at her. "We best be going then, Miss McGarden." Jet tipped his hat as Droy bowed his head slightly then they both turned and moved to mount their respective horses. Levy watched them until they rounded a road bend that led towards Prairie Rose. She released a heavy sigh as soon as they were out of sight.

She couldn't help but wonder where Mister Steel had run off to and how he was faring. He had thanked her. That was more than what she was expecting. She wondered what his profession was. He sported only a hunting knife, one that she had disarmed him of as soon as she started undressing him the night she patched him up. She had hidden it high atop a cross beam in her home. Thinking of it now, she turned and moved back inside her abode, looking up to see if she saw a sign of it still resting there. It was gone. He had searched for it then after she had passed out in his arms. She blushed slightly in embarrassment. He had to have picked her up and placed her to rest in her bed. The blush intensified, this time, nothing to do with embarrassment. She'd be lying if she said that she hadn't felt a physical attraction to the strange man. He was built and tanned like his profession demanded a physical type of labor out in the sun. His hands were rough and calloused. What could have caused his gunshot wound? Some sort of dispute? She could sit and speculate his background all day long she sighed as she resigned herself to probably never knowing. Her breath caught in her throat then as a thought slammed to the forefront of her mind. He had searched her home. Had he then come across her personal arsenal? With panic rising up in her throat she hurried to her bed and lifted the mattress. A choked on sob escaped her throat as she saw that the place where she hid her pistol and rifle was empty.

Anger, disappointment, betrayal, fear…they all rose up to twist a knot in her stomach. How could he? She had saved his life and he had the nerve to steal from her! Levy slammed he mattress down in a fit. _That ungrateful, incorrigible, uncouth brute!_ She seethed internally as she moved to grab her satchel then, rummaging around to find her coin purse. She popped it open. Her money had been left untouched. She shook her head then, her temper cooled a bit. Not the actions of the usual petty thief. He'd callously disarmed her though and now she'd have to go to town to procure herself some more firearms. Damn the man. Snatching up her bonnet she plunked it atop her blue curls and tied the tails roughly beneath her chin. She slung her satchel over her shoulder and grudgingly tromped from her home and made her way into town, hoping the long walk would help diffuse her anger.

* * *

It was late morning by the time she stepped foot onto the main road that led straight to the heart of Prairie Rose. She smiled and greeted those who welcomed her and offered her a brief "hello" while she moved pointedly towards the Gunsmith's shoppe. Reaching her destination, she stepped up onto the wooden planks of the boardwalk. As per custom, WANTED posters were nailed outside the entrance of the shop and her eyes glanced over them curiously as she passed by. Mostly thieves; horse theft, cattle theft, a bank heist suspect here and there. Then her eyes rested on the murder posters. She almost glanced right past them, too chilled to look into the empty eyes of killers but then a familiar silhouette caught her eye and she looked, freezing mid stride and gasping out loud as she met the eyes of Mister Steel on a WANTED for murder poster. Immediately she read the details. He was wanted for the murder of an entire family; mother, father, and son, their surname was Redfox. Her throat tightened as if she were being choked. Her lungs burned from holding her breath. _Breathe. Breathe. Breathe._ She willed herself and finally she drew in a ragged breath, tears threatening to fall from her eyes. She blinked past them as she searched for his name. _Gajeel "Blacksteel" Redfox._ Redfox?! He was related to his victims?! Levy's stomach wrenched and she doubled over, fighting the sensation to wretch. _Oh God, oh God, oh God._ He had told her that his name was Black Steel. It had to be the same man. The resemblance was uncanny. There was no way that it was a coincidence. She had saved the life of a fugitive murderer. It stated in smaller print on the poster that those found giving aid of any sort to fugitives will be punished to the full extent of the law.

Levy stifled the whimper that flowed from her lips and she was snapped back to the present as a strong hand clamped on her shoulder.

"I said are you alright there, missy?" The older man said, concern laced on his words. Levy nodded and bit her bottom lip a moment, lifting her foot and rubbing it absently.

"I…I stubbed my toe." She all but whispered and the man released her, chuckling low as he turned and returned inside the gunsmith shoppe. After a moment Levy followed him inside, feigning a slight limp as she moved up to the counter the man had returned behind.

"How can I help you, ma'am?" He asked more curiously than courteously. It wasn't too often that the women folk came into his shop. Levy fixed a smile on her face and tried her best to carry on like normal with the shop owner.

* * *

It was just before dusk when she finally stepped back into her home. She drew her curtains closed, and locked her doors and windows, which was very uncharacteristic of her. She was glad that she lived isolated from the rest of town else someone might be tipped off that she was behaving unusually. She still was reeling from the shock of what she had discovered. She rubbed at her wrist absently; the same wrist he had seized and twisted behind her back the night he had attacked her. She shivered involuntarily at the threats he had rumbled in her ear. The man was a murderer. She had shared her two room cabin with a murderer for nearly a week. Granted he was in no condition during the majority of that time to cause her any harm, but the last moments that they were together and certainly after she had fainted he had been more than capable to do something catastrophic. But he hadn't. He had called her Angel, held her gently, and tucked her away in her bed after she had rightly passed out. Then he had stolen her only means of defending herself. It made sense to her now though, why he took the guns instead of her money. He couldn't risk showing his face in town to go buy his own.

She kept her lanterns on that night and her new Winchester rifle within reach at her bedside. Needless to say she didn't sleep well that night, or the nights after that in the days that followed. Thankfully, classes were waning this time of year as her students were pulled from their classes to aid their families in fall duties. Not that she didn't love her job, but she was sure that her fatigue was starting to take a toll on her lessons, and her pupils deserved nothing less than 100% from her.

In preparation for the cold weather to come, Levy decided that it was time to replace some iron fittings to her domicile. Door hinges, latches, locks, etc. She made a list of what she needed, took a few pieces with her and made her way into town. She waved and smiled at the homesteaders like she normally would. By now her paranoia had waned a bit that she would be found to have aided fugitive Gajeel Redfox. She was optimistic that within the next few months his time with her would be nothing but a bad memory and she could carry on like nothing ever happened.

She carried her optimism right up the boardwalk and into the front of the Blacksmith shoppe as she stepped up to the counter. No one was there to help her immediately and she shuffled a bit, looking around as she waited. She could hear the rhythmic pounding of a hammer against steel in the far back of the shoppe, but no sign of anyone coming to aid her. After another few minutes her eyes finally rested on a small hand crafted bell that rested near the register and she picked it up, admiring the craftsmanship a moment before she rattled it, the chiming of the metal filling the shoppe with its ringing.

"Hold on a fucking minute," a deep growl rumbled from the back and Levy tried to ignore the tingling sensation as hairs rose ever so slightly on the back of her neck.

She heard heavy boot steps as the man came stomping towards the front of the shop, apparently not happy to have been interrupted in his work. Levy straightened and stared wide-eyed as a familiar tall silhouette filled the doorway, smoke trailing behind him and billowing out around his sides as a glowing pair of crimson hues met her gaze and pierced down to her soul. He looked every part a living, breathing demon, smoke and all and Levy tried desperately to control her rising fear and panic. It couldn't be him. Why would a fugitive work openly in the same town that had his face plastered on WANTED posters all over every corner.

His eyes looked her up and down and his lips parted in a wide predatory grin that reminded her of a wolf cornering his prey. Her eyes followed his hands then as he wiped them absently on his heavy leather apron then he reached to the back pocket of his black trousers and grabbed a grimy white rag that he then further cleaned his hands on.

"Sorry, ma'am," his deep voice drawled, his predatory grin now a sheepish one as he stepped forward and offered his hand.

"Don't normally deal with the womenfolk in this establishment. Didn't mean for you to hear my oath."

Levy stared, frozen in place. There's no way it couldn't be him. If it was, he was playing innocent masterfully. If he wasn't the same man, this poor soul of a doppelganger must be used to frightened stares and routine visits from the Marshalls. He did appear slightly different and it didn't take Levy long to finally pinpoint what it was. He was sporting numerous metal studs on his person. Three bilaterally down the ridge of his nose, two stacked under his lower lip, three atop either eyebrow, three along the outside of each ear, and four that traveled up the length of each of his forearms. His heavy black mane was pulled back in a loose tail, though a few rebellious locks had broken free in his smithing efforts to frame either side of his face. Everything was symmetrical and he looked more dangerous than he had before if that were even possible. Finally she sucked in the breath that had been winded from her and stepped forward to place her hand in his, her fingers tingling as their skin touched. He squeezed her hand gently before letting it go and he turned to move back behind the shoppe counter.

"To what do I owe this momentous occasion, Miss….?" He trailed off pointedly and Levy grinned despite herself. He knew who she was.

"McGarden. Levy McGarden." She offered as she watched him act surprised.

"THE Levy McGarden? The beautiful rose of Prairie town? I hear you're a saint, miss. It's an honor to meet you." She watched as the man bowed formally behind the counter. Levy shifted uncomfortably beneath his praise. He was astoundingly good at acting, so good that Levy was questioning her sanity at this point. It had to be him. Same height, same build, same hair, same eyes, and she thought she recognized the same scar she had discovered on the back of his hand one night in her cabin. Well two could play this game she decided as she moved closer to the counter, leaning forward against it as she smiled easily.

"I didn't catch your name, blacks…." His hand shot forward suddenly, a panicked look straining his features as his palm smothered her words. Levy squeaked against his hand and his fingers tightened ever so slightly on her cheeks as he vaulted over the counter on his free hand in one fluid motion. He landed silently beside her and stood to his full intimidating height beside her. He held her captive with the gentle but firm hold on her cheeks, his free hand moving to scoop around her waist and pull her against him. His eyes met hers, beseeching her to not say his name out loud.

Levy felt a hot wave course through her body as soon as he had wrapped his strong arm around her and pulled her against his solid form. The feeling overriding the panic she felt she should be feeling. Hell, she should be biting his hand and screaming her head off, but she hesitated. She saw unfettered emotions in his eyes briefly before they turned pleading. Emotions she wouldn't think a murderer would be feeling.

A clattering bang in the back of the shoppe brought her back to the present and she pushed against him roughly, flailing unceremoniously as he let her go, afraid of the scene she would cause if he continued his hold on her.

"I was about to say 'blacksmith', you dolt!" Levy hissed quietly between her teeth.

"Oh,….." Gajeel grunted and rubbed the back of his head absently in embarrassment. Before he could offer her an apology he saw her looking down around her feet with a sigh before she knelt down and started picking up pieces of iron hardware.

Gajeel crouched beside her and helped her pick up the remaining pieces she had dropped in her panicked state.

They stood and Gajeel turned her hand over in his, marveling at how small and delicate hers were in comparison before he placed the pieces in her palm and closed her fingers around them. She looked up to meet his gaze as he stared down at her.

"What are you doing here….?" Levy asked quietly, her brows creasing as she struggled to understand.

Before Gajeel could answer two familiar forms filled the entrance to the Blacksmith Shoppe and two startled male voices blurted out simultaneously, " _Miss McGarden?!"_


	3. Chapter 3

Prairie Rose Chapter 3

Jet and Droy stood there slack-jawed staring back and forth between Levy, Gajeel, and their hands that were still clasped together. Gajeel watched with masked amusement as the two men sized him up and not too subtly tried to make themselves appear bigger by squaring their shoulders and straightening their backs as much as possible. Finally one of the dandy's, as Gajeel labeled the two men immediately, spoke.

"I don't believe I've met your friend here, Miss McGarden." Droy spoke in a deeper tone than normal. Jet said nothing for once and continued eyeing the blacksmith; one eye slightly squinted as if he were puzzling over something.

Levy broke her hands from Gajeels and smiled innocently.

"Gentlemen, this is…" Levy started but then was cut off.

"Brad Drakeson" Gajeel finished for her, his alias rolling off of his tongue easily and convincingly. He stepped forward to tower over the two men who seemed on such familiar terms with Levy and shoved his hand towards them, grinning as he watched their faces pale as they leaned ever so slightly away from him.

"…Mister Drakeson." Jet mumbled as he was the first to reach out and shake the intimidating man's hand and tried to hide his agony when Gajeels vice-like grip clamped around his fingers. Droy followed suit, absently massaging his crushed hand afterwards. They both watched as the blacksmith moved back to Levy's side and they bristled. Gajeel grinned, flashing his abnormally large canines.

"Mister Drakeson, here," Levy intervened, feeling the male tension in the air, "was just getting ready to get to work on my order." Gajeel nodded, taking the hint and scooped the iron hardware from her delicate hand, his touch lingering longer than both Jet and Droy felt necessary before he nodded towards them with a rumbly curt, "gentlemen", then turned and disappeared into the back of the shoppe.

Levy stepped forward and ushered her two friends from the shoppe out into the late morning sun. Both of them looked back over their shoulders worriedly before fixing stern gazes on Levy.

"Stay away from that one, Miss McGarden." Jet murmured, as if the blacksmith could still hear him.

Levy furrowed her brows, not liking to be told what to and what not to do by anyone. But she went along with it, deciding it would be best to find out what they thought of Gajeel and whether he was in any danger of being exposed. She knew in her heart that he wasn't a dangerous man; not a cruel murderer and she intended to find out more about his past from him at some point.

"Why's that? He seems perfectly harmless to me." She stated, folding her hands together in front of herself, looking as sweet and innocent as she could.

"Something just doesn't feel right about him," Droy grumbled. "He was looking at you like you were something to eat."

Levy felt a blush race up her neck to grace her cheeks and she raised a hand to her mouth as she laughed suddenly.

"Oh, come now, gentlemen, I think you are just imagining things."

"Humph," Jet sighed and Levy ignored it.

"If you'll excuse me, I need to return home to tend to some things. I will see you two later, okay?" She beamed cheerfully and waited for the two of them to bow reluctantly before she turned and started making her way home.

Gajeel narrowed his eyes as he watched the trio, absently running his fingers over the hardware in his hands that Levy had left him with. He saw Levy curtsy and walk away from the two men and Gajeel watched as they exchanged suspicious glances before turning and eyeing the front of the Blacksmith Shoppe. They murmured back and forth then walked off in the opposite direction of Levy. Gajeel pushed off of the door frame he was casually leaning against and turned to return to the roaring forge he had been working at before being interrupted by the surprise patron.

She definitely knew who he was, at least in the sense that she knew he was the same man she had saved. He saw something else in her eyes though. Did she know _who_ he was? She had been afraid initially, very afraid, as if she had found out that he was a wanted murderer. Of course, how could she not know? The damn WANTED posters were all over town, despite how often he pulled them down when no one was looking, and he was risking everything by staying here. She had relaxed as soon as he had distracted her with his dialogue and her features had become twisted with confusion and intrigue. _What are you doing here?_ Her question echoed in his mind. Her tone implied that he should be gone, hiding somewhere to save himself from capture. The decision to stay had been double-edged. Hiding in plain sight was sometimes the best thing to do. Become a local and blend in. He also admitted that he wanted to remain close to _her_. To watch over her and be sure she wouldn't become entangled in his web of disaster. He'd been watching her from afar, keeping his distance to avoid her getting any more involved than she already unwittingly was. She was the last person he expected to see walk into the shoppe and he was pleased with how he rebounded from his own surprise. The bounty hunter that had been tailing him could show up any day and if it became known that she had helped him, she'd be treated like any other criminal. He wouldn't let that happen. As much as it rubbed against him to admit; he'd kill any bastard that tried to harm her. He puzzled over the strange attachment that he felt towards her. Of course, the woman had saved his measly life. But there was something else. An odd emotion reared its head to stab his insides when he had seen the way the two dandy's had been behaving around Levy; the way that acted possessively as if she were theirs. They obviously had some sort of one-way attachment to the woman and felt like it was their duty to look after her, even though she obviously thought of them as just friends.

Gajeel snorted to himself as he donned his thick heavy leather work gloves and curled the fingers of one hand around the handle of a hammer and grabbed a pair of tongs to grab a smoldering piece of iron that had been partially buried in the hot coals of the forge. Those two "men" looked barely able to stave off a fly, let alone look after a lady and fight off "scoundrels" like himself if they had to. It was decided. He'd finish Miss McGardens work order and bring it to her personally. He needed to find out just how much she knew about him, and whether or not he needed to protect her from himself and the past that was bound to catch up to him eventually.

* * *

Levy hiked up her legs, stepping over and tromping down the prickly twigs and weeds that grew amok around the land surrounding her homestead. She tightened her grip on her shotgun, lifting it up as she navigated around a fire ant hill. She sighed at the close call and moved on, her hazel eyes squinted beneath her cowboy hat as she kept a close eye on the ground surrounding her; watching….waiting. A thick dry plant snapped and crackled loud beneath her boot and suddenly a pair of pheasants took flight and Levy brought up her shotguns muzzle and locked her cheek to the stock as she looked down the sights, singling out one of the birds and fired expertly. The bird crumpled and stilled, falling lifelessly from the sky not far from where she stood. Levy reached it and bent to pick it up, silently apologizing to the small creature. At least her shot was a clean one and the bird had not suffered. She stuffed it into a satchel that was hanging off of her shoulder and turned on her heel, deciding that six pheasants was enough for now for her personal stock. She slung the weapon over her shoulder and turned back towards her home in the distance, making her way at an easy pace. Her father would be proud of her, she mused, at how self-sufficient she had become. She was certainly proud of herself. She knew that the other women in town scoffed at her and the fact that she hadn't settled with a man to take care of her. Where was the fun in that? Besides, she hadn't met any men in Prairie Rose that interested her in the least romantically. Jet and Droy had certainly tried to win her affections, but they just weren't her type. They were too prim and proper, reminding her of the society she had succeeded in escaping from. They were kind hearted though, and were really good friends to her. She knew that she could count on them to help her if she were ever in a pinch. What kind of man was her type then? Immediately an image of Gajeel standing in the doorway of the smithy filled her mind's eye. Tall, muscled, strong, skilled with his hands, gentle in his touch, intelligent and witty. He was like the heroes in the romance novels she secretly liked to read. There was just one problem. Was he a hero, or a villain? The question weighed heavily on her as she thought back on their encounters; from the beginning to the most recent one a few days ago. He had threatened her life. He was labeled a murderer and had a bounty on his head. Why was there even a doubt in her mind? _Because your heart knows better._ She frowned as she warred with her thoughts. Before she knew it she was walking up the steps of her porch and a sudden unfamiliar voice sliced her musings like a knife through a bubble.

"Hello, lovely." Before Levy could look up past the brim of her hat to see who was addressing her she was shoved roughly inside her cabin and a sickening crack echoed in her ears as something hard was brought down forcefully to the back of her head. The pain jolted through her body and then there was blackness.

* * *

It took Gajeel a few days to complete Levy's work order between his other commissions. He secured all of the hardware in a small box and left out of the back entrance to the Blacksmith Shoppe. He hadn't seen her in town and a small worry festered in the back of his mind. It was dusk and not too many were out and about as the day was drawing to a close. What few people he did encounter on the narrow road that winded in the direction of Miss McGardens house quickly skittered to the other side to avoid getting too close to him or get in his way. He frowned at them beneath the brim of his cowboy hat. Best to be feared and avoided then befriend anyone, he supposed, so he kept up the tough guy act. Even at the smith's shoppe he hardly interacted with anyone and glared and glowered at anyone who got in his way. They had dubbed him the Iron Dragon because of his sore attitude. But he was a natural at shaping and bending iron to his will. He had to admit that he enjoyed the work. Most times it proved to be a welcome distraction from his darker thoughts.

Before long he found himself stomping up the steps before Levy's front door. He paused before knocking though. Hairs rose on the back of his neck and he lowered his fist slowly. Something wasn't right. His time on the run gave him a sixth sense to his surroundings and he relied on his gut feelings to survive. He strained his ears, trying to hear anything inside the cabin. It was then that he heard a muffled cry then the sharp _smack_ of an open hand hitting flesh. Fury rose in him and he reared back as he raised a massive boot and kicked forward. The door exploded inwards, planks and splinters sent flying askew as well as a masked man that had the misfortune to be standing behind the door seconds before.

"Damnation!" He heard a man swear to his right inside the darkened cabin and Gajeel rolled inside, a blur of movement as he crouched and turned towards the darkened corner where he remembered Levy's bedroom resided. Without hesitation he leaped towards the darkness, seeing a faint reflection of light against the muzzle of a revolver and he shot his hand out, successfully grasping a man's wrist before a gunshot fired, deafening his ear. Gajeel continued forward in poetic motion as he skillfully twisted the man's wrist and arm, causing him to drop his revolver with a curse and whirl around in a reflex to relieve the tension. Gajeel unsheathed the hunting knife at the small of his back with his other hand and hooked his elbow around the man's neck, holding the blade tight against his throat as he twisted his wrist painfully behind his back. The man cried out in agony.

"Shaddup!" Gajeel roared in his ear, panting with adrenaline and pure fury. As his eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness he glanced down at the bed to see Levy's body crumpled up in a pile. Dark stains covered the bedding. Her head was buried into a pillow, her mass of curly blue locks shielding any view of her face.

"Miss McGarden!" He called to her and there was no response. Mercilessly, Gajeel twisted and applied more pressure to the wrist and arm he had seized behind the intruders back and the man screamed. The blade of his hunting knife bit into the flesh under the man's chin.

"I swear on my life, you fucking bastard, if you've harmed her in any way…" Gajeel seethed.

"I..I'm sorry!" The man sniveled. "We..we were just carrying out orders! Please, let me go, I have a family to feed."

"Tch," Gajeel sneered at the mention of family. "Whose orders?" He demanded, applying more pressure to be sure he would get compliance, but there was just silence.

"Whose orders!?" Gajeel roared in the man's ear.

"I don't know!" He whined.

Gajeel shoved the man forward roughly, watching as he tripped over the ruins of Levy's door and fell onto the prone heap of his buddy's body. Both men groaned out loud.

"Take that sack of shit and get the fuck out of here. Tell your boss that if he values his life and the lives of his men he will forget this job and move on to the next, you hear me?"

"Y…yessir!" The man whimpered and hoisted the arm of his comrade over his shoulders and helped him up. Gajeel watched the two of them disappear around the corner of the house and heard the thundering of horses retreating into the distance. Satisfied that they were truly gone, he turned towards Levy and knelt beside the bed. He held out a hand and brushed away her blue locks as gently as he could, straining his eyes in the darkness to find any obvious injury. Her cheek was sporting a fresh mark that would certainly bruise. His hand drifted along the back of her head and he hissed between his teeth as he felt a large knot there. She'd been ambushed. He shifted beside her and rolled her onto her back before gingerly scooping her up in his arms. He stood there looking down at her small form tucked against his chest, cradled by strong arms. For a moment he wasn't sure what to do. He couldn't carry her back to his rented room in Prairie Rose; it was far too far and once he got into town he'd be spotted and undoubtedly questioned. He couldn't leave her here; he'd destroyed the door to her cabin. After weighing his dwindling options, he decided leaving her here to rest in the comfort of her own bed would be what was in her best interest. She may have suffered a concussion from the initial blow that most certainly knocked her out cold. She must have gained some semblance of consciousness just as he had arrived. He knew he had heard her whimper behind the door before she was struck again and knocked out once more. He tightened his hold on her and lowered his head to bury his face in her hair, taking a deep breath and relaxing as her scent filled his lungs. He lowered her back onto her bed then, moving the covers out from under her and draped them over her. Gajeel moved then to light the lantern that she kept close by and turned it to a soft flame, bathing their surroundings in a gentle glow.

Gajeel scooped up the two revolvers the intruders had left behind and tucked them away in his waist band then spent a few moments rummaging through her space as he found a cloth and dipped it into the cool water pail she kept beside her wood stove. He righted a wooden stool and plopped down onto it beside her bed and placed the cool damp cloth to her forehead and cheek alternately. He held her hand in his as he sat there, watching her rhythmic breathing. He didn't see any other injuries, thankfully. So, who would wish her harm then? As far as he knew she hadn't made any enemies. Everyone in Prairie Rose seemed to genuinely adore the small woman. A ransom then, perhaps? Or had someone figured out their connection and sought to draw him out to ambush him and turn him in? He dismissed his latter theory. Those men were definitely not prepared for his intrusion if they _had_ been expecting him. They had grossly underestimated him if that were the case. Either way, he could almost bet that they would be back and with reinforcements. His cursed under his breath. He should have killed them, but he really didn't want any more blood on his hands and chose to diffuse the situation the lesser of two evils way. If they were bound and determined to follow through with these orders, neither scenario would have made much of a difference he concluded.

He tightened his hold on Levy's hand as he returned his gaze to watch her. He had to figure out how to protect her from a second attempt. He'd have to convince her to move into town. At this point, she'd have to see the logic in that.

He straightened then as she suddenly took a deep ragged breath and he was hopeful that she was returning to consciousness.

" _Gajeel…_ " she whispered as she exhaled. A shiver of pleasure and fear coursed through him as he heard his name on her lips. She knew his name, his real name. She knew who he was then, without a shadow of a doubt.

Gajeel squeezed her hand. "Levy?"

He'd never spoken her name out loud before and he decided that he liked the way it felt on his tongue. She didn't move, or respond. She remained still, breathing easily.

Gajeel stayed by her side through the night, moving the cool compress from her forehead to cheek every so often and keeping guard to be sure no one else came to harm her.

It was the least he could do for her.


	4. Chapter 4

(So sorry for the delay in this short chapter. I've been dealing with preparing to move and also struggling where to line up the plot line to reach the end that I want. The next update shouldn't take so long. Enjoy!)

Prairie Rose Chapter 4

Birds singing outside reached Gajeel's ears as he woke, keeping his eyes closed as he listened to Levy's gentle breathing beneath the rising cacophony of the birds outside. He shifted slightly in his lean against the wall to his back. His butt was sore from being seated on the damned stool beside her bed all night, but he figured it was a small discomfort compared to what she was probably feeling with that knot at the base of her head. He allowed one eye to open to a slit as he peeked over at the object of his thoughts by his side. Soon, he would have to rouse her and talk about the happenings last night and, of course, talk about what he had initially come here to discuss in the first place. He needed to know how deep she had tangled herself in his mess of a life and whether this "job" on Levy had anything to do with him or for a separate reason altogether.

The birds suddenly stopped chirping outside and a deathly quiet enveloped the small cabin. Gajeel slowly pushed off of the wall and sat straight, his hands resting on the hand grips of the revolvers at his hips. He heard the crunching of something stepping on the dried foliage outside and whatever it was, it was moving closer. Stealthily, he stood from the stool and crept to the open doorway, resting his back against the wall besides the opening and slowly inched his head to allow him to peek around the corner. His crimson eyes widened with instant recognition and he dropped his hands from the revolvers as he scrambled out of the doorway, stumbling over the mess he made of the door as he cried out loud.

"Lilly!" His outburst was followed by joyous laughter as he reached his pitch black horse and embraced its neck in a bear hug. He rubbed his cheek into the stallion's shaggy dusty fur and continued to laugh unabashed, completely lost in the moment of being reunited with his trusty friend. Lilly snorted at him, but stood and allowed the burly man to delight over his sudden appearance.

Levy had awoken instantly at hearing Gajeel's outburst and had scrambled up out of panic. Now she stood there in the doorway, leaning against the frame and holding her pounding head as if it were about to fall apart. The pain was momentarily forgotten as she watched Gajeel pounce on the horse like an excited little kid hugging his puppy. She couldn't help the giggle that escaped her as she continued to watch. It was endearing and further supported her theory that this man was not a dangerous murderer.

Just like that the moment was over as Gajeel turned to see Levy standing in the doorway. He took a moment to look over his horse, checking to see if all of his gear was still present. He wasn't surprised to see that it was. Lilly was a hard ass and would not allow any stranger to approach him without Gajeel present. He'd seen a man kicked clear over a fence by Lilly when he took a dare to sneak up on the horse and jump on his back.

Gajeel moved back towards the steps to the cabin then, giving Lilly a quick rub on his velvety muzzle in passing. The horse nickered softly to Gajeels back as the man moved away. The horse then turned to find something worthwhile to munch on.

Levy had retreated back inside to sit on the side of her bed. Gajeel found her there with her head cradled in her hands, her elbows perched on her knees.

"We need to talk", he breached the silence bluntly and Levy sighed. Her head was pounding and she fought against nausea and the dizziness that was elicited from her sudden evacuation of the bed before.

"You know my name." He stated and moved to stand over her, crossing his studded arms in front of his parted white work shirt.

Levy stilled and swallowed hard before she spared a glance up at him. There was that intimidating tone and stance again.

"Well yeah," Levy spoke softly. "I've seen the WANTED posters."

"You're not…" Gajeel paused as Levy butted in and finished his sentence.

" _Afraid_ of you?" Levy whispered, and then asked the question she'd been asking herself since discovering his identity. "Should I be?"

There was a long silence between them as Gajeel stared down at Levy, his face a hard unreadable mask.

* * *

"There's no doubt in my mind." Jet stated, his tone resolute.

" _He_ was _flirting_ with Miss McGarden!" Droy whined.

They both stood there in front of the Sheriff's Office; WANTED poster in hand. Jet knew that he'd seen the man before the day he'd met "Brad Drakeson" in the Blacksmith Shoppe though he couldn't place when and where. Then a few days later as he and Droy were strolling down the boardwalk, he had laid eyes on the WANTED poster and it all came together in his head and he all but fell over at the realization. Now they stood there, preparing to alert the authorities that they had a murderer in their midst; one that was a direct threat to Miss McGarden.

"Gajeel 'Blacksteel' Redfox," Jet read the name aloud as he looked over the picture then glanced up to meet his friends gaze. Him and Droy exchanged nods before they stepped into the Sheriff's Office.

Not too long after that the thundering of horses hooves descended upon the Blacksmith Shoppe and a trio of shadows filled the doorway as Jet, Droy, and the town Sheriff piled into the shop, barreling towards the blacksmith behind the counter. The man watched them with widening eyes and reflexively his hands rose to the air to show compliance to whatever they were racing in there for.

"Where's this man?" The Sheriff demanded, shoving the WANTED poster beneath the smith's nose. The man appeared startled as his eyes ran over the picture and the description beneath.

"Brad? Err…..I haven't seen him since yesterday, Sir's. Told me that he had a delivery to make to a certain young lady….now what was her name?" He mulled over names in his head, thinking to himself.

Jet and Droy exchanged panicked looks and leaned forward against the counter and said in unison, "Miss Levy McGarden?!"

The man pounded his fist into his other palm in recognition. "Yes, sir's, I believe that's the girl."

Jet and Droy both made sounds of utter fear and panic as they turned and bolted out of the Shoppe to mount their horses, the Sheriff not far behind them.

"What's this about, gentlemen? Are you acquaintances with Miss McGarden?"

"Yessir," Jet answered, pulling the reins of his horse to turn towards Levy's cabin. "We can take you to where she lives."

"We haven't seen her for a few days," Droy added, moving his horse to turn towards Levy's place as well.

"We think she could be in danger." They said in unison and did not wait for the Sheriff to mount before they kicked their horses into a gallop towards Levy's cabin.

* * *

Gajeel continued to stare down at Levy, his head a turbulence of thoughts. Should he reassure her that she had nothing to fear from him? Should he disclose his past and how he came to be a fugitive? He also fought the urge to forgo using words and pull her up into his arms and show her that she had nothing to fear. Then, there was the thought that made his stomach churn. Should he do something to make her fear him so that she would stay away from him? That would be in her best interest as far as stopping her from getting too involved with him. But then it would also make it harder to keep an eye on her. He wanted to be by her side until he found out why someone was trying to harm her. As his thoughts continued, his brows furrowed, contorting his features into a scowl.

Levy watched the play of emotions cross Gajeel's face. He hadn't answered her yet, and his face turned darker and darker the longer the pause went between them. Their eyes were locked, but she could see that he wasn't looking at her; instead he had turned inwards to war with his thoughts.

"Gajeel." She spoke his name softly as she stood and reached to hold his hand in her fingers. He blinked and his attention returned to her immediately as she stepped closer to him.

Levy had never felt this strange pull towards anyone before. Was it the intrigue and mystery that surrounded the man that drew her in? Was it his dark rugged appearance? His strong physique? Was it the idea that he could be dangerous? Her heart pounded as she stepped closer to him, her chest pressing against his as she tilted her head back to keep their gazes locked. A delicious heat shot through her, causing goose bumps to rise on her exposed skin. Gajeel swallowed hard as he looked down at her, his breath catching in his chest as she pressed against him. All of his thoughts abandoned his mind, save for one.

Levy didn't feel fear as Gajeels arms closed around her, pinning her to his form. She didn't feel fear as his face drifted close to hers, his hand moving to cradle the back of her head, fingers closing slightly in her blue locks, nor when their lips were just a breadth away, though her heart continued to race. This man had saved her life, and had plenty of opportunities to harm her in their time alone. Still, she needed to hear his answer.

"Should I be?" Levy whispered the question again, her lips brushing against his. Gajeel squinted his eyes closed, fighting against the urge to kiss her; for the first time in a while truly terrified of the potential consequences of his actions.

Then they heard horses closing in from a distance, and beneath the thundering of hooves on the dirt, they heard two familiar voices shouting.

"Miss McGaaaaaaarden!"

Gajeel growled low, slowly lifting his head away from Levy and releasing his hold on her as he reached for a revolver at his hip.

"Those two are _fucking_ annoying." He seethed and Levy sighed, bowing her head.

Then there came a demand that made Gajeel tense and Levy suck in her breath.

"WANTED fugitive, Gajeel Redfox, come out with yer hands up."

"Tch." Gajeel spat as he pulled the two revolvers from his hips and moved towards the door.

" _Really_ fucking annoying." He growled low under his breath as he pressed his back to the wall, inching to peek around the corner of the door frame. Just as he moved within line of sight to see the three men standing there a shot rang out and he pulled back as the wood of the door frame where his head was a split second before exploded and splintered as a bullet grazed it. _Just the three of them._ Gajeel thought quickly. He knew for sure that the two dandy's were unarmed. Men like that didn't carry guns, relying on the law to carry justice through.

They heard Jet and Droy shriek out loud outside, squabbling with the Sheriff about not shooting and that Miss McGarden could be hit.

This was the distraction that Gajeel needed. Without hesitating another second he re-holstered his revolvers and turned to scoop up Levy in his arms then leaped from the doorway, moving as quickly as he could to move down the steps and put the cabin between them and the Sheriffs line of sight.

"He's got her!" He heard one of the men shout, followed by a "Don't shoot!" But even still, Gajeel heard another shot fire behind him and a sharp pain ripped through his shoulder, the lingering burning there unmistakable; he'd been shot again.

Gajeel whistled sharply through his teeth as he moved behind the cabin, still moving as fast as he could to put distance between them. Levy curled up tight in his arms, her hands covering her ears and eyes closed tight.

Lilly came thundering up to their side, slowing enough for Gajeel to toss Levy up to perch sideways on the saddle. She squeaked as she was tossed airborne then sat dazed for a second as it registered in her mind that she was sitting on his horse. She felt pressure at her side then as he had skillfully swung himself up into the saddle and grabbed the reins with one hand, pulling her back against his chest with his other hand and urged Lilly into a full out gallop. Two more shots popped behind them but Gajeel was confident that they had put enough ground between them to not worry about being hit again. He felt Levy lean tighter against him, her arms moving to encircle his torso for support as they raced over the plains. Her head was tucked against his chest and he smirked down at her, wondering how she got so lucky as to have those two dimwits as friends.


	5. Chapter 5

Prairie Rose Chapter 5

Lilly had the stamina of 3 horses put together, Gajeel knew, but he also knew he needed to slow to rest his stallion soon. They had been riding hard for at least 3 miles and he could hear in Lilly's breaths that he was winded, especially after carrying two riders. He glanced quickly over his shoulder to see where their pursuers were, if they were being pursued, and was glad to see not a single speck on the horizon. He pulled back on the reins to slow Lilly to an easy trot and began to inspect the wound to his shoulder.

Now that she could release Gajeel without fear of being bumped right out of the saddle, Levy loosened her arms from around him after feeling him twist to the side and sat up to see what he was doing. Immediately she panicked when she saw the blood stain that had cascaded down the arm of his white work shirt and she reached to help him, anger suddenly bubbling up inside of her, an emotion she didn't experience often.

"Those two….idiots." She murmured as she reached to tear a strip of cloth from the hem of her skirts, crumpling it to a thick pad to apply pressure to the wound. Gajeel hissed through his teeth as she pushed firmly into his shoulder then focused on watching her, silently amused at her current expression; her cheeks were puffed and brows furrowed with concentration. He also thought he saw the tip of her tongue peeking out of the corner of her mouth.

"I can think of a few other more suitable words to call them." He exhaled as the pounding in his shoulder eased a bit. He watched Levy as she alternately applied pressure then lifted the compress to look, before doing the same over again a few more times. The concern for him that reflected in her eyes was heartwarming.

"They were just worried about you, Levy." He spoke low, trying to console himself as much as her, but she didn't say anything else, just kept her focus on his shoulder. He wasn't even certain she had heard him. He then glanced up to look over the land before them, trying to decide in which direction they had blindly run off to. He didn't want to get too far from her cabin. Aside from the revolvers, they had no means to defend themselves and not a whole lot of gear for a long distance trip. He would give it a day, he decided, and then they would circle back to her cabin for some supplies if no one was there waiting for them. In the meantime, they were alone and he finally had the opportunity to talk to her without interruptions, he hoped.

Levy tied a long strip of cloth from her skirts over the wound and sat up straight, leaning away from him to look at her work. It still needed to be thoroughly cleaned, but for now she supposed the pressure bandage would do. His sudden voice startled her from her thoughts.

"Why did those men attack you?" She turned her head to meet his gaze then dropped her eyes to her hands in her lap.

"They meant to ransom me to my father. He's a wealthy Bank Owner in New York City. They must have heard folk talking about me in town." Gajeel nodded as she spoke. Certainly there were a few gangs that could pull off something like that easily. He was relieved as well, that it wasn't because of her involvement with him. She still seemed innocently caught up in his life from the outside. To her friends that rode up on her cabin it had appeared like he had kidnapped her. _Why not add that to the list,_ he mused in his thoughts.

"What about you?" Levy asked after a long span of silence. "Why are you a wanted fugitive, Gajeel?"

She watched as his eyes glazed over as if lost in a horrific memory, his face taking on a scowl.

"Another time, Levy." He finally said. The less he indulged to her, the better for her. He did not want her getting involved. But the small woman before him had other plans.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" She sounded hopeful.

"You can stop asking me stupid questions, shrimp." His voice was thick with controlled irritation. She ignored the bite in his reply and looked up over the horizon. He still planned on telling her about his past, he had said as much, just not right now. Well, Levy was a patient woman. She supposed that she would wait a little longer until he was ready.

Gajeel turned Lilly north and continued his pace at an easy trot.

"How did your horse come to find you?" Levy asked then, figuring talking about the horse was safe territory. Gajeel grinned widely at her back, happy to brag about his equine friend.

"Lilly has an amazing sense of smell, most horses do. Whereas dogs are confined to scents on the ground, most scent lifts up into the air as it is heated; a perfect height for horses. I dare say that horses have a better tracking nose than dogs." Levy could tell that he and Lilly had a close bond.

"Was he a gift to you?" She asked, still hoping to learn any little tidbit that she could about him.

Gajeel was silent for a long moment, then spoke, his voice deep with what Levy guessed was sadness. "Yes, my brother gave him to me for my thirteenth birthday. He was a spitfire colt, but then, so was I. We were perfect for each other; hard headed and stubborn. I guess over the years we've developed a mutual respect and friendship."

"How did you get separated?" Levy asked, figuring it had not been by choice that they had been apart. "The last town I had sought refuge in. A bounty hunter had closed in on me and I left Lilly in the care of the stable master while I rode off on some old hag at the end of her days. I had instructed him to let Lilly go if I had not returned for him after a few weeks. After a day or two outside of town I had cut into the borrowed nag's neck and dismounted, slapping her on to ride into oblivion." Gajeel paused a moment.

"That was when I was shot; riding like a bat outta hell away from that town, and the hunter on my heels." He swallowed.

"Luckily for me, he had followed the nag's blood trail and I was able to escape. That was when I found you and…" He tightened his hold around her. "The rest is history."

After a few more miles of silent riding Gajeel slowed the stallion to a halt and jumped off, pulling the reins forward to lead the black horse to a small network of streams. Levy watched from her perch on the saddle as Gajeel turned his back to her and leaned against his horse's neck as Lilly lowered his head to drink. Gajeel patted him affectionately, ruffling his dusty mane before turning to walk a few paces away, scanning the surrounding ground. After a moment he returned to Lilly and started rummaging through saddlebags, then untied the bedroll that had been secured behind the saddle.

"We're staying here tonight," He stated before Levy could ask and turned to move back to his chosen spot and started laying things out. Levy looked up at the sun and realized that they still had quite a bit of daylight left; judging that it was only just now about noon time. Carefully, she slid from the saddle and landed with a tiny thud and moved to wash her hands in the small stream closest to her, scooping a few handfuls to her mouth to drink. Gajeel's shadow fell over her and she peeked up to see him standing over her, his arms crossed and face fixed in a scowl like he was preparing for war.

"Tomorrow we're going back to your cabin, if no one is there." His voice was firm, void of any emotion. "You're going to stay there and say that you escaped in the night after I passed out from boozing. Then you're going to start looking for a vacant place to rent in town." Levy furrowed her brows as he spoke, and then stood to face him.

"And what about you?" She asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"What about me?" He shrugged and turned to walk away from her, then added over his shoulder. "I'll move on to the next town."

"You'll move on from _me_!" Levy cried, not missing his intentions. Gajeel stopped and half turned back to face her.

"That is what is best for you, Levy." He growled, a warning present in his tone. But Levy was not going to just roll over.

"How do you know what is and isn't best for me?" She yelled. She was so tired of people trying to tell her how to live her life.

Gajeel didn't respond and it took all of his willpower to turn away from her again and walk away.

"Don't just walk away from me!" She shrieked at his back, but Gajeel ignored her and continued walking. He felt that she just might have a thicker skull than he had. Until he somehow got everything straightened out from his past he wasn't safe to be around. This was the option he had settled on to sever himself from his angel; make her hate and resent him.

He wasn't expecting to be tackled from behind, but that's exactly what happened. And somehow, whether by intentional skill, or dumb luck, Levy had knocked his feet together mid stride and he fell forward to hit the ground with a thud and a puff of dust.

"Dammit, woman…" Gajeel swore deeply and tried not to cough as he pushed himself up to his knees, but before he could do aught else, Levy filled his line of vision as she threw herself against his chest and wrapped her arms around him.

"Don't leave me," she whimpered against him and Gajeel puffed out a sigh, feeling her trembling against him. Her words stabbed through his heart like a hot bladed dagger. How was it possible for her to have such an attachment to him? She sounded as if she were….he dare not finish his thought. He needed to keep his resolve. From the first time that he had laid eyes on her; the moment he had realized that she was the angel who had saved him, he had loved her. He had the strong desire to be by her side and protect her from the world. And with that realization he knew that he needed to protect her from himself, until being around him was no longer a threat to her life.

"I'm not good for you, Levy." He spoke softly.

"Yes, you are. I know who you are and you're not…"

"A _murderer?_ " Gajeel interjected, his voice seething. "You know nothing about me, Miss McGarden." Levy cringed as he used her name formally. "I _have_ killed men and my soul is _damned._ "

The anger in his voice caught her off guard and she didn't fight when she felt his hands close over her shoulders as he pushed her away to stand.

"I know what you're trying to do…." She whispered and he paused as he stood over her.

"Then why don't you listen and just stay away from me and make this easier for both of us."

"Because I…."

"Don't you dare say it!"

Levy stood then and wrapped her arms around his neck as she pulled herself up to crush her lips against his. Gajeel growled behind his lips as he tried to push her away in the initial panic that washed over him. She was holding on to him for dear life and he felt his resolve slipping away. He couldn't hurt her. He just couldn't do it and he'd be lying to himself if he said that he didn't want this; didn't want her. His arms closed around her then and locked her body against his. He felt Levy part her lips and he deepened the kiss, sliding his tongue inside her mouth to twist with hers, savoring the sweet taste of her. Levy moaned softly into his mouth and he felt the heat steadily growing in his belly explode like a gust of air blowing over open flames. Without breaking their kiss he bent to slide an arm behind her knees as he lifted her into the air, ignoring the pain that burned in his wounded shoulder. He carried her over to the bedroll that he had laid out and knelt down; lowering her to her back while he lowered to his elbows and knees over her. Levy kissed with a hunger he'd never been subjected to and fisted her little hands in his hair, causing him to shudder involuntarily and moan with pleasure.

Levy arched her back above the ground, pushing her chest up against him while wrapping her arms around his neck once more. She broke their fevered kiss and gasped out loud as Gajeel stretched his legs out, lowering his hips to grind provocatively against hers. He grinned wolfishly down at her before he lowered his face and seized her bottom lip between his teeth, nibbling and sucking on it while she writhed beneath him.

Somewhere in the distance, Lilly snorted and stamped his hooves, but neither of them heard. It wasn't until a sudden shadow was cast over them that Gajeel snapped back to reality and before he could react a boot heel connected to his temple and he was plunged into darkness.

* * *

"Two lovebirdssss with one…hic…schtone." A man's alcohol induced slurring reached the depths of Gajeel's subconscious. He was slowly becoming aware of himself and his surroundings.

"Thish one here has shome shpirit, heh, I like that." A man's deep sadistic laughter came followed by the muffled cries of a woman.

 _My woman._

It was like Gajeel was caged in the darkness within his mind, unable to will himself to move or return to consciousness. Deep in the recesses of his subconscious he roared and rattled the bars of his confines. He failed. He had failed again to protect someone that he loved.

"This one here is going to pay fer what he did to Chet and Skinny." Gajeel felt the flat of a boot stomp onto his wounded shoulder and press with a cruel twist. Hot white pain shot through his body, willing it closer to fully awakening.

His fingers twitched behind his back, the feeling of course rope biting into his wrists confirmed that he was bound. The cold hard ground was beneath his back. As his fingers moved he felt them graze against the leather scabbard at the small of his back. He smiled cruelly in his mind as he felt himself returning to full awareness. The idiots failed to disarm him of his knife.

Gajeel continued to feign unconsciousness as he allowed his senses to kick in and orientate him. A fire crackled nearby. The darkness behind his closed lids told him that it was night. He heard at least three different distinct voices. Horses shifted and snorted on the outskirts of the camp. He wondered if Lilly was out there too, waiting.

Gleeful cackling came as one of the men shuffled restlessly in the dirt. "Think of all the money we'll get for these two! The Banker will probably give half his fortune to get his daughter back and then…there's the fugitive Gajeel Redfox. Hey is he worth more alive? Or is it the same either way? I don't like the look of him. I'd rather dispatch him now and save ourselves the worry of him coming to."

"You talk too damn much, Willy." A new voice. Deeper with more authority behind it.

Silence descended, save for the occasional sniffle and whimper from Levy. He tried to gage how close she was, but without sneaking a glance and risking being found out he wouldn't know for sure.

"I'd like to finish what that rogue started with this little lady," the one named Willy said then, and boot steps in the dirt moved off to the area of Gajeels feet. Her muffled sobs sounded again and Gajeel was almost certain now she was there. His fingers tightened on the hilt of his hunting knife. Subtly, he shifted his legs, pleasantly surprised to find that his ankles were free from any sort of bondage. _Perfect._

"What do you think, missy?" The man reached out to grab one of Levy's breasts, squeezing it cruelly, his fingertips digging into her flesh even through the thick material of her dress. Levy cried out in pain and fear behind the cloth gag, tears falling down her cheeks as she squeezed her eyes closed.

Gajeel couldn't wait any longer. Hearing her cries pushed him over the edge of caution. Opening his eyes wide enough to mark the position of the man in front of him at his feet he gripped the hilt of his knife tighter and prepared himself.

Levy tried her best to lean away from the man closing in on her, the stench of him making her gag. Gajeel was still out cold, she thought fearfully. She kept sparing glances at him behind the man in front of her, hoping to see any sign that he was awake and alright. She needed to buck up and do something to save them both. Her hands were bound in her front. If only she could get ahold of a gun, she might be able to subdue the others while helping Gajeel to escape. Her brows furrowed then as she refocused on the man in front of her and she shifted her knees and feet beneath her skirts, positioning them so she could gain some traction and leverage. The man moved in to kiss her and Levy knew it was now or never. She lowered her forehead at the last possible second and kicked off of the ground with her legs, forcefully head butting the man in the nose. He howled in pain as he doubled backwards, hands covering his face, obscuring his vision from the trap that lay waiting behind him.

After seeing what Levy had done and watching the man stumble back, Gajeel reacted; he kicked out with his feet and tangled them with the man's legs and rolled forcefully onto his stomach, twisting the man so that he fell. As Gajeel had rolled he unsheathed his hunting knife and gripped the hilt to point the blade up. A sickening rip filled the air followed by an agonizing scream as the man fell onto Gajeel's blade, the tip puncturing through his chest.

The other men in the camp jumped up to their feet in shock, reaching for their guns. Gajeel bucked the incapacitated man off of his back and swiftly rose to his knees as Levy jumped behind him, grabbing the knife from his hands to start working at his bonds. At the same moment Gajeel whistled through his teeth, praying that Lilly was close by. The men had all leveled their sights at Gajeel by now and before Levy could make it through the ropes she stood and quickly moved around to stand in front of Gajeel, knowing that they wouldn't shoot her if they wanted their ransom plan to succeed.

"What are you doing?! Move woman!" Gajeel roared behind her and shouldered her aside as gunfire broke out.

From the pitch black surrounding the ring of light of the campfire, a thundering of hooves approached. Just then Lilly burst into the camp, knocking two of the men out of the way and barreling into the third, tossing his thick neck to the side and sending the man flying onto the flames of the fire, scattering embers everywhere. Levy found herself tossed up into Lilly's saddle by Gajeels strong hands; he had broken through the remaining course strands of the rope at his wrists and turned to help her. An intense burning ached in her side as he had lifted her, but she bit her lip and held in the cry of pain that wanted to escape. Gajeel took the hunting knife from her hands and started working on her bonds when gunfire rang out and he tensed, but didn't feel the searing pain he was sure was going to follow. Instead, he heard dull thuds of the gang men falling to the ground around them. Just then a deep, rolling laughter sounded on the outskirts of the campfire light. Levy's skin crawled and Gajeel froze completely, his eyes widening with dread upon recognizing the source of that laughter. His old partner. _So he's been the bastard hunting me down_ , Gajeel thought with a scowl.

Gajeel turned then, standing as tall as he could to shield Levy at his back as the man moved into the light, mounted on a ragged and tired looking buckskin mare.

"What a cluster fuck this is, eh, Gajeel?"

Gajeel remained a silent sentry stationed in front of Levy. Lilly shifted uncomfortably at his back.

"The Sheriff in Prairie Rose was very generous in allowing me to take over the trail you'd left. Said you'd even taken to kidnapping a lovely young woman. I didn't think you'd ever sink that low."

"You're wrong!" Levy interjected. "He rescued me."

The bounty hunter cackled out loud then, a cruel sound that made Levy shudder at Gajeel's back.

"Trying to atone for your past, Gajeel?" The man jabbed. Gajeel visibly bristled, but tried to keep a level head.

"Let her go, Jose. I haven't told her anything about my past. She's innocent." Gajeel felt Levy's panicked stare at the back of his head. "Take me, but please, don't hurt the girl." Gajeel insisted, though he knew the man before him was too low of a creature to take the offer.

"I don't believe you. Besides, what's one more innocent bystander on the list of people who have died by your hands, or should I say, by the lack of your hands?"

Levy sat behind Gajeel, confusion crossing her features. How could Gajeel be responsible for deaths if they were not by his hands?

The bounty hunter Jose leveled the muzzle of his revolver then and skillfully fired a shot, taking out Gajeel's knee and he fell to a kneel, sucking a breath in through his teeth in an attempt to control the pain.

"Gajeel!" Levy cried and slid from the saddle, crouching by his side.

"Awe, how cute." Jose sneered sarcastically. "Well, missy, before you die, let me fill you in on mine and Gajeel's long history together." Keeping his revolver trained on the two of them, Jose dismounted and moved closer, standing over them before he continued with his story.

"Before he became a wanted fugitive, Gajeel and I were U.S. Marshal's serving the same homestead. Gajeel has always had a knack for tracking and bringing down wanted fugitives and bounty heads. S'probably why he's been able to elude me for so long." Jose spat to the side. "Yes, the son-of-a-bitch was good at what he did. Too good. Before long he was the hero of the town and his ego started drowning out the rest of his comrades."

"Don't blame me for your own shortcomings you cock-sucking.." Jose brought the butt of his pistol to crack against Gajeels mouth. Gajeel spat blood to the side and grinned up at Jose, running his tongue over his lip. "Still hit like a girl." He goaded, but Jose continued while Levy crouched against Gajeel in shocked silence.

"So I set him up." Jose sneered down at him, watching closely to take in Gajeel's expression.

The cocky grin faded from Gajeel's face as he froze, the words sinking in.

"What are you getting at?" He growled between clenched teeth.

"I hired a gun to kill off your family; your brother and his lovely wife and son."

Gajeel's breath halted in his chest as memories came flooding back to the forefront of his mind. Him barging into his brother's house, seeing the blood everywhere. His brothers limp body sprawled over the bodies of his wife and son, trying to protect them to the end. The intruder who had laughed maniacally before Gajeel knocked him down and beat him to a bloody pulp with his bare hands; covering himself in blood.

"What better way to get rid of you than to write off that you had lost your sanity and went on a killing rampage against your own kin?"

"It was you?" Gajeel trembled against Levy, every fiber of his being taught like a spring ready to snap. This whole time he had thought it was a big misunderstanding. He carried the guilt and self-loathing that he had been unable to protect his family and the salt to that wound was knowing that everyone believed he had done it. His friends and neighbors had descended upon the scene and somewhere in the back ground someone had shouted, _he's gone crazy. He killed his family. Watch out, he's dangerous!_ In his mind he had decided that he may as well have been the one to kill his family. There was nothing he could do except to kill the man who had done it; the man who was still standing over the corpses when he had arrived. Now, there was someone else who needed to pay; the one who had pulled the strings behind the scenes.

"It was me. I placed the bounty on your head for the death of your brother and his family and successfully got rid of you. And now you two are the only ones who know of it and I cannot allow you to live and spread nasty rumors about the magnificent Jose Porla." Jose cocked back the hammer on his revolver and aimed the sights right at Gajeel's chest. Levy gasped.

"Wrong. Now there are six of us that know." Levy beamed as she recognized the voice that sounded off behind Jose.

Jet, Droy, and the Prairie Rose Sheriff stood there behind Jose, guns drawn and leveled at his back. Jose sneered and moved his other hand to rest on the butt of his other revolver still resting at his hip.

"Don't even think about it," Jet commanded as the three of them advanced and fanned around Jose. Droy moved forward and grabbed the holstered revolver at Jose's hip while the Sheriff moved to his other side and grabbed the revolver from his hand.

"Hands behind your back," The Sheriff requested and Jose started to comply, knowing he was out numbered and out gunned.

Ignoring the pain in his knee, Gajeel jumped to his feet, no longer able to hold back his anger and grief and closed the distance between himself and Jose in a split second. He closed a fist and swung un-mercilessly, connecting with a sickening crunch to Jose's jaw. Jose reeled backwards and before he could raise his own fists to retaliate Gajeel had brought his other fist forward, the knife blade flashing in the firelight as it stopped just beneath his chin.

The others didn't move to stop him, seeing that Gajeel was burning with the need for vindication. The knuckles of Gajeel's knife wielding hand were white as he gripped the hilt, burying the blade further into Jose's flesh. Blood trickled down the blade, dripping to the dirt at their feet.

"Do it," Jose seethed.

Behind him, Gajeel heard the shuffling of Levy's feet as she came up behind him. Her hands sought out his free one and she entangled her fingers in his own, squeezing gently.

"It won't bring them back," she whispered, leaning her weight against him, trying to comfort him. She was right, he mused as he allowed reason to sink into his rage filled mind. Nothing would bring them back, but it would make him feel a hell of a lot better knowing he avenged his brother.

"Don't be the…monster he made you think that you are. Don't be like him, Gajeel." Levy spoke softly again. Something in her voice wasn't right and Gajeel turned to look down at her. Even in the firelight he could instantly tell that she was pale. His eyes were then drawn to a dark blood stain in her side and instantly Jose was forgotten about as he turned to grab her, moving her away from the others as he sat her against a resting saddle.

"Why didn't you tell me," he choked between his teeth as he leaned in to inspect her closer.

"I could ask the same of you," Levy sighed, then shivered.

Gajeel instantly pulled a nearby blanket over and tossed it around her shoulders.

"Now's not the time to be stubborn, shrimp."

Jet, Droy, and the Sheriff quickly tied and subdued Jose, leaving him in an unceremonious heap in the dirt before they joined Levy and Gajeel, carrying a modest first aid kit to help with their wounds.

Gajeel watched closely as her friends tended to Levy's wound, waiting to hear how bad it was. Those words never came however, and from experience he knew that usually meant that it looked bad. He reached out and grabbed her hand as they moved to start tending to his knee, which he grudgingly allowed for all of two minutes; long enough for them to bandage it.

Gajeel moved closer to her as the others moved away; hushed whispers being exchanged between them. Levy smiled a weak but brave smile up at him.

"Stubborn woman," Gajeel murmured. He knew now that she'd been shot when she had stood to shield him from the gang.

"I love you," Levy whispered as she moved to nestle her head against his chest. Gajeel tried to swallow past the hard lump that started to build in his throat.

"This is why I didn't want to tell you anything. I did not want you to get mixed up in my fucked up life and end up hurt, Levy."

"I'll be fine." She nestled closer against him, savoring the heat emanating from his body. "I'm tougher than I look."

"I know, angel."

Gajeel tightened his arm around her gently, leaning down to kiss the top of her head, then whispered into her blue locks, "I love you too."

* * *

Six Months Later….

Gajeel stood in the cold, his thick duster coat pulled close around his form, his cowboy had pulled low across his brow as the wind bit at his exposed skin. His crimson eyes rested upon a granite headstone at his feet. He sucked in a deep breath, exhaling long and slow as his breath steamed out around his collar. A thousand and one emotions jockeyed in his mind. He'd never been able to get this closure before; never even saw the grave site before. It was harder than he had been expecting.

A tender arm hugged him from the side then, silently offering strength and comfort. Gajeel blinked past tears and looked down to his side to see Levy standing there, a few dried flowers in hand. Gingerly, she knelt down and laid the bundle of dried flowers on the Redfox's collective headstone, taking a moment to run her fingers over the letters of their names before she stood and returned to Gajeel's side. They stood there in silence for a few more minutes; Levy patiently waiting until Gajeel was ready.

After another few minutes he turned to her and nodded and together they made their way out of the small graveyard. Outside the small picket fence that surrounded it Lilly stood waiting. Gajeel helped Levy up onto the saddle and stood there before her, his hands running up her legs to disappear behind the heavy folds of her winter coat, finding the swell of her belly and resting his hands there; savoring the feel of their child moving beneath his hands.

Levy smiled tenderly down at him as he moved away to swing up into the saddle behind her. His arms encircled her and pulled her back against him as he clicked Lilly forward. Like a magnetic force he couldn't fight, Gajeel's hands rested on Levy's pregnant belly again, the swell more pronounced beneath her thick coat. Levy moved her hands to cover his then and they rode like that silently for a few minutes.

"Ryos," Levy said softly then, breaking the silence. "We will name him Ryos." She felt Gajeel tense at her back as she spoke his brother's name and he moved his arms to hug her, burying his face against her neck. In the brisk air that whipped around them, Levy was certain she felt his tears drifting down her skin.

(Stay tuned for the Epilogue - there are some lose ends that need to be tied up. I hope I didn't rush this like I did with my other story "Abyss"; I know I left some feeling like it was anticlimactic. Thank you for reading and for the reviews!)


End file.
